Methods for isolating polyhydroxyalkanoates from plants

ABSTRACT

Methods are provided for separating polyhydroxyalkanoates (&#34;PHAs&#34;) from plants, such as transgenic oil crop plants. The methods advantageously permit both the oil and the PHAs to be recovered from the plant biomass. To isolate the PHAs, in one embodiment, a biomass derived from an oil crop plant is pre-processed, for example by grinding, crushing or rolling. The oil then is extracted from the biomass with a first solvent in which the oil is soluble and in which the PHAs are not highly soluble to remove the oil. The biomass then can be extracted with a second solvent in which the PHA is soluble, to separate the PHA from the biomass. Alternatively, the PHA-containing biomass is treated with a chemical or biochemical agent, such as an enzyme, to chemically transform the PHA into a PHA derivative. The PHA derivative then is separated from the mixture using, for example, a physical separation process such as distillation, extraction or chromatography. Advantageously, using the method, the plant oils, the PHAs and PHA derivatives can be recovered and purified on a large scale from oil containing plants such as transgenic oil crop plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally in the area of isolating polyestersfrom plants.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of naturally occurringpolyesters that are synthesized by numerous organisms in response toenvironmental stress. For reviews, see Byrom, D., "MiscellaneousBiomaterials", in D. Byrom, Ed., "Biomaterials" MacMillan Publishers,London, 1991, pp. 333-359; Hocking, P. J. and Marchessault, R. H.,"Biopolyesters," in G. J. L. Griffin, Ed., "Chemistry and Technology ofBiodegradable Polymers", Chapman and Hall, London, 1994, pp. 48-96;Holmes, P. A., "Biologically Produced (R)-3-hydroxyalkanoate Polymersand Copolymers," in D. C. Bassett, Ed., "Developments in CrystallinePolymers," Elsevier, London, Vol. 2, 1988, pp. 1-65; Lafferty et al.,"Microbial Production of Poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid," H. J. Rehm and G.Reed Eds., "Biotechnology", Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim, Vol. 66,1988, pp. 135-176; Muller and Seebach, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl.,32:477-502 (1993); and Steinbuchel, A., "Polyhydroxyalkanoic Acids,"Byrom, D., Ed., "Biomaterials", MacMillan Publishers, London, 1991, pp.123-213.

The PHA biopolymers can be divided into two groups according to thelength of their side chains (FIG. 1). Those with short side chains (FIG.1a), such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a homopolymer ofR-3-hydroxybutyric acid units, are crystalline thermoplastics, whereasPHAs with long side chains (FIG. 1b) are more elastomeric. The formerhave been known for about seventy years (Lemoigne and Roukhelman,Annales des Fermentations, 5:527-536 (1925)) whereas the lattermaterials were first identified in the early 1980's. De Smet et al., J.Bacteriol., 154:870-878 (1983).

Due to their earlier discovery and their desirable physical properties,the short side chain materials have been more extensively studied. ThePHA polymers, which are natural thermoplastics, can be processed usingconventional polymer technology and have industrially useful properties,such as biodegradability in soil and marine environments,biocompatibility, and good barrier properties. These characteristicsmake these materials useful for a wide range of industrial applications.

The PHA polymers may constitute up to 90% of the dry cell weight ofbacteria, and are found as discrete granules inside the bacterial cells.These PHA granules accumulate in response to nutrient limitation andserve as carbon and energy reserve materials. Distinct pathways are usedby microorganisms to produce each class of these polymers. The pathwayleading to the short side chain polyhydroxyalkanoates (SSCPHAs) involvesthree enzymes, thiolase, reductase and PHB synthase (sometimes calledpolymerase). Using this pathway, the homopolymer PHB is synthesized bycondensation of two molecules of acetyl-Coenzyme A to giveacetoacetyl-Coenzyme A, followed by reduction of this intermediate toR-3-hydroxybutyryl-Coenzyme A, and subsequent polymerization (FIG. 2a).The last enzyme in this pathway, the synthase, has a substratespecificity that can accommodate C3-C5 monomeric units includingR-4-hydroxy acid and R-5-hydroxy acid units. This biosynthetic pathwayis found, for example, in the bacteria Zoogloea ramigera and Alcaligeneseutrophus.

The biosynthetic pathway which is used to make the long side chainpolyhydroxyalkanoates (LSCPHAs) is still partly unknown, however, it iscurrently thought that the monomeric hydroxyacyl units leading to theLSCPHAs are derived by the β-oxidation of fatty acids and the fatty acidpathway (FIG. 2b). The R-3-hydroxyacylcoenzyme substrates resulting fromthese routes then are polymerized by PHA synthases that have substratespecificities favoring the larger monomeric units in the C6-C14 range.Long side chain PHAs are produced, for example, by Pseudomonads.

The biosynthesis of PHAs has been studied in a wide range of bacteria atboth the biochemical and genetic level, and has been reviewed inSteinbuchel et al., FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 103:217-230 (1992). Sincethe first PHA synthase genes were identified and characterized in 1989(Peoples and Sinskey, J. Biol Chem., 264:15298-15303 (1989); and U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,229,279, 5,245,023, and 5,250,430 to Peoples and Sinskey), anumber of other microbial PHA polymerases have been investigated andtheir DNA and amino acid sequences published. Steinbuchel et al., FEMSMicrobiology Reviews, 103:217-230 (1992). More recently, two subunit PHAsynthases from Chromatium vinosum (Liebersgesell, M. and Steinbuchel,A., European J. Biochem., 209:135-150 (1992); and WO 93/02194) andThiocystis violacea (Liebersgesell, M. and Steinbuchel, A., Appl.Microbiol. Biotechnot. 38:493-501 (1993)) have been described.

The genes encoding the enzymes responsible for the production of SSCPHAsin, for example, Z. ramigera and A. eutrophus, have been isolated andsequenced. Peoples and Sinskey, Prog. Biotechnol. 3:51-56 (1987);Peoples et al., J. Biol. Chem., 262:97-102 (1987); Peoples and Sinskey(1989), J. Biol. Chem. 264:15298-15303, J. Biol. Chem. 264:15293-15297,and Molecular Microbiol. 3:349-357; Stater et al., J. Bacteriol.,170:4431-4436 (1988); and Schubert et al., J. Bacteriol., 170:5837-5847(1988).

PHA producing microorganisms produce PHA to greater than 60% total dryweight and are readily extractable by organic solvent. Lafferty et al.,"Microbial Production of Poly-β-Hydroxybutyric Acid", in H. J. Rehm andG. Reed, Eds., "Biotechnology", Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim, Vol. 66,1988, pp. 135-176. In plants, the extraction and recovery of PHA issignificantly complicated by the presence of large amounts of plant oilas well as lower percentages of PHA. These complicating factors make thesuccessful extraction, separation and recovery of PHAs from plants moredifficult.

There is a need for the development of methods for the large scaleprocessing and purification of polyhydroxyalkanoates from plant biomass.It is therefore an object of the invention to provide methods forprocessing PHAs from plant biomass on a large scale. It is anotherobject of the invention to provide methods for isolating PHAs fromtransgenic oil crop plants. It is a further object of the invention toprovide methods for processing plant biomass derived from oil seed cropplants such that the recovery of the non-PHA products such as plant oilsalso is maximized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods are provided for separating a polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA") fromplants. In one embodiment, methods are provided for isolating PHAs froma plant biomass derived from transgenic crop plants which contain plantoils. The methods advantageously permit both the oil and the PHAs to berecovered from the plant biomass. To isolate a PHA, in one embodiment, abiomass derived from an oil crop plant is pre-processed, for example bygrinding, crushing or rolling. The oil then is extracted from thebiomass with a first solvent in which the oil is soluble and in whichthe PHA is not highly soluble, to separate the oil from the PHA. Theessentially oil-free plant biomass then is extracted with a secondsolvent in which the PHA is soluble, to separate the PHA from thebiomass. Alternatively, the PHA-containing biomass is treated with achemical or biochemical agent, such as an enzyme, to chemicallytransform the PHA into a PHA derivative. The derivatized PHA then isseparated from the mixture using, for example, a physical separationprocess such as distillation extraction or chromatographyAdvantageously, using the method, plant oils, PHAs, and PHA derivativesall can be recovered and purified on a large scale from plants such astransgenic oil crop plants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is an illustration of the structure of short side chainpolyhydroxyalkanoates.

FIG. 1b is an illustration of the structure of long side chainpolyhydroxyalkanoates.

FIG. 2a is an illustration of a biosynthetic pathway for the synthesisof the short side chain polyhydroxyalkanoate, polyhydroxybutyrate.

FIG. 2b is an illustration of a biosynthetic pathway for the synthesisof long side chain polyhydroxyalkanoates.

FIG. 3 is flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a process forseparating polyhydroxyalkanoates from plants.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of a process forseparating polyhydroxyalkanoates from plants.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Methods are provided for separating polyhydroxyalkanoates ("PHAs") froma plant biomass containing plant oil and meal. PHAs which can beisolated from plant biomass include degradation or other products ofPHAs, such as monomers, dimers, oligomers, acids, esters, amides, andlactones, which can be formed from chemical, biochemical or physicaltreatment during processing of the biomass, or from processes occurringwithin the plant biomass. In a preferred embodiment, the PHAs areisolated from a biomass derived from a transgenic oil crop plant. Inaddition to maximizing the recovery of PHA materials, the recovery ofcommercially useful non-PHA products from the biomass also is maximized.For example, in the case of PHA separation from the seed of an oil-seedplant, the oil and meal also can be isolated and then used commercially.

I. Materials for Isolation of PHAs

A. PHA Materials which can be Isolated

PHA materials which can be isolated from plant biomass include monomers, polymers and other products derived from PHAs including chemically andbiologically modified derivatives. The PHA materials are defined in oneembodiment as containing one or more units, for example 10 to 100,000and preferably 100-30,000 units of the following formula I:

    --OCR.sup.1 R.sup.2 (CR.sup.3 R.sup.4).sub.n CO--;

wherein n is 0 or an integer, for example 1-15, and in a preferredembodiment 1-4; and

wherein R¹, R², R³, and R⁴ independently can be hydrocarbon radicalsincluding long chain hydrocarbon radicals; halo- and hydroxy-substitutedradicals; hydroxy radicals; halogen radicals; nitrogen-substitutedradicals; oxygen-substituted radicals; and/or hydrogen atoms.

As defined herein, the formula --(CR³ R⁴)_(n) -- is defined as includingbut not limited to the following formulas:

    --CR.sup.3 R.sup.4 -- (where n=1);

    -CR.sup.3 R.sup.4 CR.sup.3' R.sup.4' -- (where n=2); and

    -CR.sup.3 R.sup.4 CR.sup.3' R.sup.4' CR.sup.3" R.sup.4" -- (where n=3);

wherein R³, R⁴, R^(3'), R^(4'), R^(3"), and R^(4") can be independentlyhydrocarbon radicals including long chain hydrocarbon radicals; halo-and hydroxy-substituted radicals; hydroxy radicals; halogen radicals;nitrogen-substituted radicals; oxygen-substituted radicals; and/orhydrogen atoms. Thus, formula I includes units derived from3-hydroxyacids (n=1), 4-hydroxyacids (n-2), 5-hydroxyacids (n=3).

These units may be the same, as in a homopolymer, or be selected fromtwo or more different units, as in a copolymer or terpolymer. Thepolymers in one embodiment have a molecular weight above 300, forexample 300-10₇, and in a preferred embodiment, 10,000 to 3,000,000Daltons. In one embodiment, PHA homopolymers may be isolated such as,for example, polyhydroxybutyrate, polyhydroxyvalerate or polylacticacid. Additionally, PHA copolymers or terpolymers including at least twomonomers of a hydroxyalkanoate such as hydroxybutyrate, hydroxyvalerate,hydroxyhexanoate, hydroxyheptanoate, hydroxyoctanoate, hydroxynonanoateand hydroxydecanoate can be isolated. PHAs including monomers andpolymers and derivatives of 3-hydroxyacids, 4-hydroxyacids and5-hydroxyacids can be isolated.

The PHA polymers also may contain or be modified to include othernon-hydroxy acid units such as long chain fatty acids, amino acids,carbohydrates, phosphorus and sulfur containing compounds, and triols,such as glycerol. PHA products which can be isolated include derivativesformed upon physical, chemical or biochemical treatment of the biomassor by processes within the biomass including hydroxyacid monomers,dimers, trimers, linear and cyclic oligomers and lactones. PHAderivative products which can be isolated include esters, diols,unsaturated compounds, aldehydes, acids, alcohols, lactones, cyclic andlinear esters, amides, and thioesters of polyhydroxyalkanoates or of amonomer derived from the polyhydroxyalkanoate.

Representative PHA products which can be isolated from plant biomassinclude:

esters defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ;

amides defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CONR⁵ R⁶ ;

thioesters defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) COSR⁵ ;

acids defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ H;

ethers defined by the formula: R⁶ OCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ;

esters defined by the formula: R⁶ CO₂ CR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ;

unsaturated compounds defined by the formulas: R¹ R² C═CR³ (CR⁴ R⁵)_(n)CO₂ R⁶ ; and R¹ R² R³ CC(R⁴)═C(R⁵)CO₂ R⁶ ;

diols defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CH₂ OH;

lactones or macrolides, defined by the formula: ##STR1## where x is aninteger, for example from 1 to 10; and ketones or aldehydes defined bythe formula:

HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) COR⁵ ;

HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CHO;

R¹ CO(CR² R³)_(n) COOR⁴ ; and

R¹ CO(CR² R³)_(n) COR⁴ ;

wherein n is 0 or an integer; and

wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and R⁶ are each independently hydrocarbonradicals including long chain hydrocarbon radicals, halo- andhydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals,nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, and hydrogenatoms; and wherein --(CR² R³)_(n) -- is defined as described above.

Commercially useful monomer PHA products such as 3-hydroxybutyric acidor crotonic acid, or alkyl esters thereof, includingmethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate, ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate, propy3-hydroxybutanoate and butyl-3-hydroxybutanoate also can be isolated ThePHA derived hydroxy acid monomers, in addition to the higher molecularweight forms, are a source of valuable chemicals that can be usedcommercially either with or without further modification.

As used herein, the term "PHA materials", or "PHAs" or"polyhydroxyalkanoates" refers to monomers, polymers and other PHA-basedmaterials originally present in the biomass prior to processing, andproducts formed during processing such as products formed fromdegradation or processes occurring within the plant biomass orderivative products formed by treatment of the biomass with chemical orbiological agents to cause a chemical transformation.

B. Plant Sources from which PHAs can be Isolated

Plant Species

PHAs and PHA products can be isolated from plant biomass derived fromplants such as soybean, cotton, coconuts, groundnuts, rapeseed,sunflower seed, olive, palm, sesame seed, linseed, castor, safflowerseed, tobacco and potato. In a preferred embodiment, the biomass can bederived from an oil crop plant, particularly rapeseed, sunflower seed,safflower seed, linseed and soybean. In the processing, the plant oil inthe seed crop plants can be isolated and recovered in addition to thePHA polymers. Plant oils typically make up 10-50% of the seed by weight.The worldwide demand for plant oil is considerable. The methods forprocessing the plant biomass can be tailored based on the properties ofthe particular PHA polymer or derivative being isolated, and based onthe type of plant crop and the plant components being extracted.

Production of Transgenic Plants

The use of transgenic oil crop plants offers many advantages. Transgeniccrop plants for production of PHAs can be obtained using methodsavailable in the art. Transgenic plant crop production can produce PHApolymers at both a price and a scale that is competitive withpetrochemical derived plastics. Transgenic plant derived PHA polymers ortheir derivatives can be processed and separated from plant biomass incommercially useful forms. The location of the PHA in the plant crop(e.g., leaf, seed, stem or combinations thereof) can be varied tomaximize the yield of PHA from the plant.

The genes encoding the enzymes responsible for the production of shortside chain PHAs in, for example, Z. ramigera and A. eutrophus, have beenidentified, isolated and sequenced. Peoples and Sinskey, Prog.Biotechnol. 3:51-56 (1987); Peoples et al., J. Biol. Chem., 262:97-102(1987); Peoples and Sinskey (1989), J. Biol. Chem. 264:15298-15303, J.Biol. Chem. 264:15293-15297, and Molecular Microbiol. 3:349-357; Slateret al., J. Bacteriol., 170:4431-4436 (1988); and Schubert et al., J.Bacteriol., 170:5837-5847 (1988), the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. In A. eutrophus, they were found toform an operon, phbC-phbA-phbB genes, coding for the short side chainPHA synthase, thiolase, and reductase, respectively. For the long sidechain PHAs, the synthase enzymes in the Pseudomonas organism were foundto be encoded by the pha focus. This locus includes two closely relatedPHA synthase genes, phaA and phaC, as well as a depolymerase gene whichis the product of the phaB gene.

Methods which can be used for producing PHA polymers in transgenic cropspecies are described in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,245,023 and 5,250,430; WO91/00917; WO 92/19747; WO 93/02187; WO 93/02194; WO 94/11519; WO94/12014; WO 94/23027; WO 95/05472; Poirier et al., Science, 256:520-523(1992), Poirier et al., BiolTechnol., 13:142-150 (1995) and Nawrath etal., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 91:12760-12764 (1994), the disclosuresof which are incorporated herein by reference

To form a transgenic crop species, a gene encoding a PHA synthase istransferred from a microorganism into plant cells to obtain theappropriate level of production of the PHA synthase enzyme. The gene maybe derived from a microorganism such as Acinetobacter, Aeromonas,Alcaligenes, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium,Chromatium, Flavobacterium, Halobacterium, Pseudomonads, Nocardia,Rhodococcus, Thiocystis, Streptomyces, Streptococcus or Zoogloea.Additional PHA biosynthetic genes also can be provided, for example, anacetoacetyl-CoA reductase gene or other genes encoding enzymes requiredto synthesize the substrates for the PHA synthase enzymes. Theexpression in different plant tissues or organelles can be controlledusing methods known to those skilled in the art. Gasser and Fraley,Science, 244:1293-1299 (1989), the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference, and references cited therein. PHB has been producedin genetically engineered plant systems by standard techniques. Poirer,Y. et al., Science, 256:520-523 (1992); Poirier, Y. et al.,Bio/Technol., 13:142-150 (1995); and Nawrath, C. et al., Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA, 91:12760-12764 (1994), the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

In a preferred embodiment, the PHA content of the plant biomass prior toextraction is at least 1% by weight of the dry weight of biomass, morepreferably 5-95% by weight of the dry weight of biomass, and in anotherpreferred embodiment between about 5-60% by weight of the dry weight ofbiomass, most preferably 10-60%. Preferably, at least 24% of the PHA isrecovered in the process separate from oil.

II. Methods for Isolation of PHAs from Plants

A. Pre-processing of the Plant Biomass

The PHA-containing plant biomass, for example, a transgenic oil cropplant containing a heterologous PHA synthase gene, is cultivated andharvested. The plant biomass may be pre-processed prior to extraction ofthe PHA polymers using methods available in the art, such as agitation,heating, cooling, pressure, vacuum, sonication, centrifugation, and/orradiation. As used herein, the term "plant biomass" refers to plantcomponents including seeds, leaf, stalk and stem. Additionally, theplant biomass can be pre-processed using any one or more combinations ofprocedures including drying, dehulling, cleaning, ageing, cleaning,weighing, cracking, flaking, pressing, rolling, grinding, cooking,crushing, settling, and/or filtering. The use of these procedures forseparating oil from meal in the processing of oil bearing plants isdescribed in "Oil Crops of the World," G. Robbblen et al., Eds.,McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1989, Chapter 11, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

B. Extraction of Plant Biomass

The PHA monomers, polymers and derivatives can be removed from the plantbiomass using suitable means including solvent extraction and/orwashing, aqueous extraction and/or washing, crushing, temperaturetreatment, enzymatic treatment, centrifugation, supercritical fluidextraction, high and/or reduced pressure treatment, chromatography,distillation, melting, or treatment with reagents to facilitateseparation of the PHA materials.

Methods for extracting the oil from the preprocessed material availablein the art also may be used, such as oil expeller pressing where the oilis mechanically squeezed from the oil bearing material, and prepressingsolvent extraction where a portion of the oil is removed by expellersand the remainder by extraction with an organic solvent, such as ahydrocarbon, for example, hexane. Additionally, supercritical gasesincluding carbon dioxide and propane can be used. Other methods includedirect solvent extraction where the oil is removed directly fromconditioned seed with an organic solvent; propane refining to separatefat; and fat splitting involving hydrolysis of fat or oil with water toproduce glycerol and fatty acid. "Oil Crops of the World," G. Robblen etal., Eds., McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1989; "Liquid Extraction," R.Treybal, Ed., McGraw-Hill Book, New York, 1951; and "World Oilseeds:Chemistry, Technology, and Utilization," D. K. Salunkhe et al., Eds.,Van Nostrand Reinhol, New York, 1992.

Extraction of Oil from Plant Biomass

One preferred method for isolating the PHAs from a plant biomass isillustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 3. In the process, the PHAcontaining plant biomass first optionally is pre-processed as describedabove. The pre-processed or unprocessed PHA containing plant biomassthen is extracted in a solvent in which the oil is soluble, and in whichthe PHA and the meal are not highly soluble, to remove the majority orall of the oil from the PHA containing plant biomass. The solvent isselected such that it is a good extractant for the oil and a poorextractant with low solubility for the PHA and the plant meal.Extraction of the PHA-oil-meal mixture, as illustrated in the flow chartof FIG. 3, produces an oil fraction essentially free of PHA (for exampleincluding less than about 10% by weight of PHA) and an essentially oilfree PHA-meal mixture (including for example, less than about 10% oil byweight). The PHA-meal mixture then is extracted with a second solvent inwhich the PHAs are soluble, to obtain purified PHA materials.Alternatively, the PHA-meal mixture can be treated chemically orenzymatically to produce PHA derivatives which are then isolated fromthe meal, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The first solvent which is used to extract the oil from the plantbiomass is selected based on its ability to solubilize the oil.Preferably, a solvent is used in which the oil is soluble and in whichthe PHA and plant material is not highly soluble. Suitable solventsinclude hydrocarbons, such as propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane,octane, nonane and decane. As used herein the term "solvent" includessolvents as well as solvent mixtures, such as mixtures of hydrocarbons.Preferably, the first solvent is chosen wherein the PHA is soluble toless than 1%, most preferably less than 0.1% and the oil is soluble tomore than 10% (w/v, ambient temperature).

To isolate the PHA and oil components from the biomass, solvents used inthe extractions are selected which exploit the differences in thephysical nature and solubility characteristics of the PHA and oilcomponents of the biomass. The isolation steps are tailored depending onthe particular PHA, plant host or PHA/plant host combination. Forexample, in the extraction of PHB and LSCPHA, different solvents orsolvent combinations are used in their extraction from PHA-containingtransgenic plant biomass based on their solubility.

In the embodiment where the PHA is separated from the PHA-meal productby treatment with a second solvent, the second solvent (solvent 2 inFIG. 3) is selected based on its capability of being a good extractantfor the PHA and a poor extractant for the meal. Solvents which can beused include solvents or solvent mixtures including chloronated organicsolvents such as chloroform, methylene chloride, dichloroethane,trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane and dichloroacetate. For example,hydrocarbon stabilized chloroform can be used. Other solvents which havebeen used to extract PHAs from microbial sources which may be usedinclude alkyl carbonates, such as propylene carbonate and ethylenecarbonate, trifluoroethanol, acetic anhydride, dimethyiformamide,ethylacetoacetate, triolein, toluene, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran,diethylether, pyridine, hydroxyacids and alcohols having more than 3carbon atoms, as well as mixtures thereof. Lafferty et al., "MicrobialProduction of Poly-β-Hydroxybutyric Acid," in H. J. Rehm and G. Reed,Eds., "Biotechnology", Verlagsgesellschaft, Weinheim, Vol. 66, 1988, pp.135-176. In a preferred embodiment, the second solvent is a chlorinatedorganic solvent or an alkyl carbonate. Additionally, in a preferredembodiment, the first and second solvents have boiling points betweenambient temperature and 400° C., more preferably between 30° C. and 250°C.

The solvent extraction steps also can be conducted using supercriticalfluid extraction, wherein a gas is used such as ethylene, propylene,propylene oxide, butane or carbon dioxide. In a preferred embodiment,the gas has a boiling point between -250° C. and ambient temperature,preferably between -150° C. and -20° C. The PHA also may be extracted ina molten state.

In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in the flow chart of FIG.3, the PHA-meal mixture is treated with a chemical or biochemical agent,such as an enzyme, to chemically transform the PHAs into PHA derivativesas described in detail below. The PHA derivatives then are separatedfrom the plant biomass if necessary, using one or more subsequentphysical separation steps such as distillation, extraction,centrifugation, filtration or chromatography.

Extraction of PHA and Oil.

In another embodiment, shown in the flow chart of FIG. 4, the PHAcontaining plant biomass optionally first is pre-processed as describedabove. The pre-processed or unprocessed PHA containing plant biomassthen is solvent extracted in a solvent in which the oil and the PHAs aresoluble, and in which the meal is not highly or is poorly soluble, toessentially remove the oil and the PHAs from the plant meal, such that,for example, less than about 10% of oil and PHAs by weight remain in theplant meal. The solvent used in this process is selected such that it isa good extractant for the PHAs and oil, and a poor extractant for themeal. The PHA materials in the PHA-oil product then are furtherseparated from the oil by a physical separation step, such asdistillation, or by further exploitation of differences in solubilitybetween the PHA and oil.

Alternatively, the PHA-oil product may be modified by chemical orbiological treatment to provide a PHA derivative(s)-oil product asdescribed below (as shown in FIG. 4). The PHA derivative component ofthe latter may be subsequently purified by physical processing,including distillation, solvent extraction, washing, precipitation,centrifugation, supercritical fluid extraction, filtration, andchromatography.

Solvents which may be used to extract the oil-PHA component from theplant biomass include chlorinated organic solvents, for example,chloroform, methylene chloride, di-, tri-, tetra-chloroethane anddichloroacetate, alkyl carbonates such as propylene carbonate andethylene carbonate, trifluoroethanol, acetic anhydride,dimethylformamide, ethylacetoacetate, triolein, acetic acid, toluene,alcohols, hydroxyacids, dioxan, tetrahydrofuran, diethylether, and/orpyridine. The solvent also may consist of or may include hydrocarbonssuch as hexane, heptane, octane, nonane or decane or mixtures thereof.Preferred solvents are those having boiling points between ambienttemperature and 400° C., preferably between 30° C. and 250° C.Preferably, such solvents have solubility for both PHA and oilcomponents of at least 5% (w/v, ambient temperature), and are chosendepending upon the structure of the PHA defined in FIG. 1. The PHAmaterial also can be extracted in the molten state. The choice ofsolvent will depend on the choice of plant from which the biomass isderived and the solubility properties of the PHAs, derivatives and oilsbeing separated.

As illustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 4, the extracted PHA-oil alsocan be separated by chemical modification to form a PHA derivative-oilproduct, by treatment with a chemical or biological agent, such as anenzyme which degrades the PHA material, as described in detail below.The PHA derivative then is separated from the PHA derivative-oil mixtureusing, for example, a physical process such as distillation, extraction,centrifugation, supercritical fluid extraction, preparation filtration,and/or chromatography. Further refining of the essentially oil free PHAcan be carried out by standard procedures known to those skilled in theart.

III. Synthesis of PHA Derivatives

As described above, during the processing, the PHA materials in thebiomass can be derivatized by physical, chemical or enzymatic conversioninto derivatives, prior to their isolation, to faciliate the isolationof the materials, or to produce a desired derivative product. PHAderivatives which can be formed include acids, esters, oligomers, cyclicoligomers, lactones, macrolides, amides, amines, thioesters, diols, andunsaturated compounds, which can be formed using methods available inthe art. Griesbeck, A. and Seebach, D., Helv. Chim. Acta 70:1320-1325(1987); Plattner, D. A., Helv. Chim. Acta, 76:2004-2033 (1993); Seebach,D. et al., "Biological-Chemical Preparation of 3-Hydroxycarboxylic Acidsand Their Use in EPC-synthesis," W. Bartmann and K. B. Sharpless, Eds.,"Stereochemistry of Organic and Bioorganic Transformations," VCH,Weinheim, 1987, pp. 85-126; and Seebach, D. et al., Chimia, 44:112-116(1990); Org. Synth., 71:3947 (1992); Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Eng., 434-435(1992); and Helv. Chim. Acta, 77:1099-1123 (1994), the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference. Additional methods forderivatizing esters, which may be used to form PHA polyesters are knownto those skilled in the art.

Chemical agents which can be used to modify the PHA materials in theprocessing of the biomass include, for example, acids, bases,detergents, chelator, an oxidizing or reducing agent, a nucleophilic orelectrophilic reagent, metal ions, aqueous solutions or organicsolutions, and free radicals. Other chemical agents which can be usedinclude hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, ozone and alkyl peroxides. Thechemical transformation can be, for example, a chemical reaction such asan esterification, transesterification, hydrolysis, saponification,aminolysis, thiolysis, etherification, silylation, addition,elimination, rearrangement, or condensation. The chemical agents can beused, for example, to produce derivatives with a molecular weight lessthan that of the PHA starting materials in the plant biomass.Additionally, the PHA materials can be modified by physical treatmentsuch as heat, cold or agitation.

The PHA materials also can be chemically modified during processing bytreatment of biomass materials such as PHA-meal or PHA-oil mixtures witha biological agent such as an enzyme, which for example, degrades thebiomass or the PHA material. Enzymes which can be used include PHAdepolymerases, proteases, nucleases, lipases, hydratases,phosphorylases, cellulases and/or glycosidases. The PHA polymers may beconverted to oligomers, monomers, dimers, trimers, or other derivatives.The PHA functionality may also be converted to non-PHA chemicalfunctionality.

IV. Applications

The PHAs isolated as described herein can be used in a wide variety ofdifferent applications. In one embodiment, the isolated PHAs can be usedto form a latex. PCT WO 91/13207 discloses the use of polymers orcopolymers of β-hydroxybutyrate and β-hydroxyvalerate in the form of alatex, i.e., as an aqueous suspension of non-crystalline, amorphousparticles. The latex can be used, for example, to form films or coatedpapers which are biodegradable and recyclable. Methods for forming a PHAlatex from purified crystalline PHAs are described in PCT WO 94/07940,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in themethod, a purified solution of PHA in an organic solvent, which can beobtained as described herein, is emulsified in an aqueous solutionincluding a surfactant, to form an amorphous latex. Thus, the methodsdisclosed herein provided purified PHAs which can be used in a varietyof industrial and biomedical applications such as the formation of PHAlatex materials.

The invention will be further understood from the following non-limitingexamples.

EXAMPLE 1 Extraction of Polyhydroxybutyrate from Plant Biomass.

The process illustrated in FIG. 3 was used to isolatepolyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from plant biomass by extraction with hexane(solvent 1) to remove the oil followed by extraction with hydrocarbonstabilized chloroform (solvent 2) to isolate PHB.

A sample of rapeseed (32 g) containing approximately 40 weight % oil wasadmixed with 6 g of PHB powder (Aldrich) and ground using an electricfood grinder. This sample is representative of a transgenic oil seedcontaining 34% by weight oil and 16% by weight of PHB. The mixture wascontinuously extracted with 300 mL hexane (solvent 1) in a soxhletapparatus for 6 hours after which time the sample was allowed to coolproviding an organic solvent phase and a solid meal. The organic solventwas concentrated to yield a yellow oil (11.8 g, 31% by weight of theadmixture). NMR analysis indicated that the oil contained no PHB. Thisresult indicates that PHB-free oil can be readily recovered at greaterthan 90% yield from PHA containing plant biomass. A portion of the solidmeal (7.7 g) was then further extracted with 120 mL of hydrocarbonstabilized chloroform (Solvent 2) for 22 hours in a soxhiet apparatus.Evaporation of the chloroform solution resulted in the formation of ayellow/white plastic film weighing 1.15 g. A portion of the crude PHBfilm (227 mg) was washed with three, one mL portions of hexane. Afterair drying, the PHB film (86 mg) was off-white in color. NMR analysis ofthis film indicated that it was essentially pure PHB. The recovery ofPHB film represents a 24% yield based on the original PHB content of theadmixture.

EXAMPLE 2 Extraction of a PHB Derivative from Plant Biomass.

The process illustrated in FIG. 3 was used to isolatepolyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from plant biomass by extraction of plantbiomass with hexane (solvent 1) to remove the oil fraction followed bychemical treatment and then physical separation of the PHB in derivativeform.

A portion of the PHB containing residual meal (2.32 g) from Example 1was heated at reflux for 15.5 hours with n-butanol (25 mL) andconcentrated sulfuric acid (0.33 mL). To the resultant black mixture wasadded saturated sodium bicarbonate (20 mL), brine (20 mL) and ethylacetate (50 mL). The mixture was shaken in a separatory funnel and thephases were separated. The organic phase was filtered through a pad ofcelite, washed with brine, treated with a small amount of activatedcharcoal, filtered, and concentrated to a dark oil. This material wasdistilled under reduced pressure. The fraction distilling at 49-53° C.and 0.25 torr was collected to yield a slightly yellow colored liquid(0.47 g). NMR analysis of this material confirmed that it was butyl3-hydroxybutyrate. The amount of material recovered represents a 46%yield of derivatized PHB based on the amount of PHB contained in theresidual meal.

EXAMPLE 3 Extraction of PHAs from Rapeseed

PHA was extracted in polymer form from rapeseed using the process ofFIG. 4 as follows. A sample of rapeseed (20 g) containing approximately40% by weight oil was admixed with small pieces of PHO, a copolymerincluding approximately 94% 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid and approximately 6%3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (5.43 g, isolated from Pseudomonas putida) andground using an electric food grinder. This sample is representative ofa transgenic oil seed containing 31% by weight oil and 21% by weight ofPHO. The mixture was continuously extracted with 300 mL hexane(Solvent 1) in a soxhlet apparatus for 12 hours. The sample was allowedto cool and was filtered to provide an organic solvent phase and a solidmeal (11.02 g after air drying). The solvent phase was concentrated toyield a yellow, very viscous gel-like material (12.92 g, 51% by weightof the admixture). Upon standing, this material set into a yellow,plastic-like solid. NMR analysis indicated that the material containedPHO and rapeseed oil. These results indicate that PHO oil mixture can bereadily recovered at greater than 90% yield from PHA containing plantbiomass. The PHA/oil mixture obtained was suitable for furtherpurification.

Further purification was conducted as follows. A portion of the yellow,plastic-like material (0.136 g, approximately 41% wt PHO, 1.1×0.2 cm)was washed with 2 ml of n-propanol. After slowly swirling at roomtemperature for 3 days, the supernatant was removed, and the residualsolid was washed overnight with 2 ml of methanol. The methanol wash wascombined with the propanol wash and concentrated to yield a yellow oil(0.0876 g). After drying under vacuum, the residual solid polymer (0.048g) was semi-transparent and almost colorless. This represents an 84%yield of PHO from the original rapeseed/PHO mixture. NMR analysis of thepurified polymer showed that it was PHO (approximately 95% purity)containing a small amount of rapeseed oil. G.C. analysis showed a 10fold reduction of major contaminants relative to the yellow,plastic-like material initially isolated by hexane extraction.

EXAMPLE 4 Isolation of a PHA Derivative from Plant Biomass

The yellow PHO containing plastic-like material obtained prior tofurther purification, as described in Example 3, was further purified inderivative form by chemical treatment and physical separation A portionof the partially purified PHO containing plastic material (2.75 g,containing approximately 40% by weight PHO) isolated by hexaneextraction from Example 3 was dissolved in n-butanol (50 mL) withheating. Concentrated sulfuric acid (0.7 mL) was added and the mixturewas heated at reflux for 20 hours. After cooling to room temperature,saturated sodium carbonate (4 mL) was added to make the mixture basic topH paper. The reaction mixture was filtered, the phases were separatedand the organic layer washed with brine (2×30 mL). The organic phase wasconcentrated to about 10 mL, dissolved in chloroform (50 mL), dried overmagnesium sulfate, filtered and concentrated under vacuum to a yellowoil (2.75 g). This material was distilled under reduced pressure. Thefraction distilling at 93-97° C. and 0.45 torr was collected to yield aclear, colorless liquid (0.41 g). The amount of material recoveredrepresents a 25% yield of derivatized PHO based on the amount of PHOcontained in the plastic-like starting material. NMR analysis of thismaterial indicated that it is butyl 3-hydroxyoctanoate of approximately95% purity and that it contains a very small amount of unsaturatedmaterial.

Modifications and variations of the present invention will be obvious tothose skilled in the art from the foregoing detailed description. Suchmodifications and variations are intended to come within the scope ofthe following claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for separating a polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA") froma plant biomass comprising plant oil and meal, the method comprisingextracting the plant biomass with a solvent to essentially remove theoil from the biomass, and then separating the PHA from the plantbiomass.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant biomass is derivedfrom a transgenic plant.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprisingderivatizing the PHA prior to separating the PHA from the biomass. 4.The method of claim 1 wherein the separated PHA comprises one or moreunits having the formula:

    -OCR.sup.1 R.sup.2 (CR.sup.3 R.sup.4).sub.n CO--

wherein n is 0 or an integer; and wherein R¹, R², R³, and R⁴ each areindependently selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbonradicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals,halogen radicals, nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substitutedradicals and hydrogen atoms.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein theseparated PHA is selected from the group consisting of monomers, dimers,linear and cyclic oligomers, and lactones of the units.
 6. The method ofclaim 3 wherein the separated PHA is selected from the group consistingofesters defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ; amidesdefined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CONR⁵ R⁶ ; thioestersdefined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) COSR⁵ ; acids defined bythe formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ H; ethers defined by the formula:R⁶ OCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ; esters defined by the formula: R⁶ CO₂CR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CO₂ R⁵ ; unsaturated compounds, defined by theformulas: R¹ R² C═CR³ (CR⁴ R⁵)_(n) CO₂ R⁶ ; and R¹ R² R³ CC(R⁴)═C(R⁵)CO₂R⁶ ; diols defined by the formula: HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(N) CH₂ OH;lactones or macrolides defined by the formula: ##STR2## wherein x is aninteger; and ketones or aldehydes defined by the formulas:HOCR¹ R² (CR³R⁴)_(n) COR⁵ ; HOCR¹ R² (CR³ R⁴)_(n) CHO; R¹ CO(CR² R³)_(n) COOR⁴ ; andR¹ CO(CR² R³)_(n) COR⁴ ; wherein n is 0 or an integer; and wherein R¹,R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and R⁶ are each independently selected from the groupconsisting of hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substitutedradicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals, nitrogen-substitutedradicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, and hydrogen atoms.
 7. The methodof claim 1 comprisinga) providing a plant biomass containing a PHA; b)pre-processing the plant biomass to obtain a mixture containing PHA, oiland plant meal; c) extracting oil from the mixture with a first solventin which the oil is soluble and in which the PHA is not highly soluble,to obtain a residual meal mixture comprising PHA; and d) extracting theresidual meal mixture obtained in step c) with a second solvent in whichthe PHA is soluble, to separate PHA from the biomass.
 8. The method ofclaim 1 comprisinga) providing a plant biomass containing a PHA; b)pre-processing the plant biomass to produce a mixture containing PHA,oil and plant meal; c) extracting oil from the mixture with a firstsolvent in which the oil is soluble and in which the PHA is not highlysoluble, to obtain a residual meal mixture comprising PHA; d) treatingthe residual meal mixture comprising PHA, obtained in step c), with atleast one chemical or biochemical agent, to chemically derivative thePHA; and e) separating derivatized PHA from the residual meal mixtureobtained in step d).
 9. The method of claim 7 or 8 wherein step b)comprises pre-processing the plant biomass using one or more processesselected from the group consisting of drying, dehulling, cleaning,ageing, cleaning, weighing, cracking, flaking, pressing, rolling,grinding, cooking, crushing, settling and filtering.
 10. The method ofclaim 7 or 8 wherein the first solvent comprises a hydrocarbon.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein the first solvent comprises a hydrocarbonselected from the group consisting of propane, butane, pentane, hexane,heptane, octane, nonane and decane.
 12. The method of claim 7 whereinthe second solvent is selected from the group consisting of achlorinated organic solvent, an alkyl carbonate, an alcohol, and ahydroxyacid and mixtures thereof.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein thesecond solvent comprises a chloronated organic solvent selected from thegroup consisting of chloroform, methylene chloride, dichloroethane,trichloroethane, tetrachloroethane and dichloroacetate.
 14. The methodof claim 7 wherein the second solvent comprises a composition selectedfrom the group consisting of a propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate,trifluoroethanol, acetic anhydride, acetic acid, dimethylformamide,ethylacetoacetate, triolein, toluene, dioxan, tetrahydrofuran,diethylether and pyridine.
 15. The method of claim 8 wherein, in stepd), the residual meal mixture comprising PHA is treated with at leastone chemical agent selected from the group consisting of an acid, abase, a detergent, an oxidizing agent, a chelating agent, a reducingagent, a nucleophilic reagent, an electrophilic reagent, a metal ion, anaqueous solution and an organic solution.
 16. The method of claim 8wherein the PHA is derivatized by a chemical transformation selectedfrom the group consisting of an esterification, transesterification,hydrolysis, saponification, aminolysis, thiolysis, etherification,silylation, addition, elimination, rearrangement, and a condensation.17. The method of claim 8 wherein the biochemical agent is an enzyme.18. The method of claim 17 wherein the enzyme is selected from the groupconsisting of a depolymerase, protease, nuclease, lipase, phosphorylaseand a glycosidase.
 19. The method of claim 8 wherein, in step e), thederivatized PHA is separated by a physical process selected from thegroup consisting of distillation, extraction, centrifugation,filtration, and chromatography.
 20. The method of claim 7 or 8 whereinthe first and second solvents each have boiling points between 30° C.and 250° C.
 21. The method of claim 7 or 8 further comprising using athird solvent to precipitate the separated PHA.
 22. The method of claim1 wherein the biomass is derived from a plant source selected from thegroup consisting of soybean, cotton, coconuts, groundnuts, rapeseed,sunflower seed, olive, palm, sesame seed, linseed, castor, safflowerseed, tobacco and potato.
 23. The method of claim 4 wherein theseparated PHA includes one or more of the same or different unitsselected from the group consisting of hydroxybutyrate, hydroxyvalerate,hydroxyhexanoate, hydroxyheptanoate, hydroxyoctanoate, hydroxynonanoate,and hydroxydecanoate.
 24. The method of claim 1 wherein the separatedPHA is selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxybutyric acid,crotonic acid and alkyl esters thereof.
 25. The method of claim 2wherein the plant biomass is derived from a plant containing aheterologous PHA synthase gene derived from a microorganism selectedfrom the group consisting of Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Alcaligenes,Azotobacter, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium, Chromatium,Flavobacterium, Halobacterium, Pseudomonads, Nocardia, Rhodococcus,Thiocystis, Streptomyces, Streptococcus and Zoogloea.
 26. The method forseparating a polyhydroxyalkanoate ("PHA") from a plant biomasscomprising plant oil, the method comprising extracting a plant biomasswith a solvent, in which the oil and PHA are soluble, to essentiallyremove oil and PHA from the biomass, and then separating PHA from theoil.
 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the plant biomass is derivedfrom a transgenic oil crop plant.
 28. The method of claim 26 wherein themethod comprisesa) providing a plant biomass containing a PHA; b)pre-processing the plant biomass to obtain a mixture of PHA, oil andplant meal; c) extracting oil and PHA from the mixture with a firstsolvent in which the oil and the PHA are soluble and in which the mealis not highly soluble; and d) separating the PHA from the oil.
 29. Themethod of claim 28 wherein the PHA is separated from the oil in step d)by treating the PHA-oil mixture with a chemical or biochemical agent,thereby to chemically derivatize the PHA, and separating derivatized PHAfrom the oil.
 30. The method of claim 28 wherein the solvent is selectedfrom the group consisting of a chloronated organic solvent, analkylcarbonate, an alcohol, a hydroxyacid and a hydrocarbon, andmixtures thereof.
 31. The method of claim 28 wherein the solvent isselected from the group consisting of hexane, trifluoroethanol, aceticanhydride, dimethylformamide, ethylacetoacetate, triolein, acetic acid,toluene, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, diethylether and pyridine.
 32. Themethod of claim 29 wherein the biochemical agent is an enzyme selectedfrom the group consisting of a PHA depolymerase, protease, lipase,esterase, hydratase and a phosphorylase.
 33. The method of claim 7, 8,28 or 29 wherein the separated PHA includes a functional group selectedfrom the group consisting of esters, amides, thioesters, acids, ethers,esters, unsaturated compounds, diols, ketones and aldehydes.
 34. Themethod of claim 7, 8, 28 or 29 wherein the separated PHA includes one ormore units selected from the group consisting of a 3-hydroxyacid, a4-hydroxyacid and a 5-hydroxyacid.
 35. The method of claim 7 or 28wherein the separated PHA is separated in an organic solvent; andwherein the method further comprises:emulsifying the PHA in the organicsolvent in an aqueous solution containing a surfactant, thereby to forma PHA latex.